Besides well-known jazz vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, female instrumentalists have been there, pulling their weight, since Louis Armstrong’s wife Lil Hardin graced the piano back in the 1920s. But whilst these women in jazz didn’t necessarily need any accolades for doing their job, perhaps now it’s time to celebrate …
Did anyone write more beautiful songs than Hoagy Carmichael? Taking a look through this selection of 10 tunes, it’s hard to come up with hanother name! Whilst there are many thousands of songs in the jazz repertoire, a much smaller selection achieve ‘legendary’ status, being reinterpreted by countless musicians both old and new. The subject …
Descriptions like “one of a kind” can only seem inadequate for a figure such as Keith Jarrett. Even as jazz legends go, he’s always been more unpredictable and challengingly eclectic than most. After starting with piano lessons at age three, then studying classical music at home and moving on jazz at Berklee College of Music …
One of the most powerful jazz singers of all time, the music of Nina Simone has embedded itself into not just jazz history, but the wider world too. We take a look at some of the songs performed by the American singer–pianist, from best-selling classics such as My Baby Just Cares For Me to lesser …
Jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock is widely considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz. We take a look at 10 of the most iconic Herbie Hancock albums which track his journey as a pioneering musician. Herbie Hancock has not only performed as both sideman and bandleader on …
We take a look and listen to 10 legendary jazz albums featuring Art Blakey, one of the most important drummers and bandleaders of all time. Of course, there’s a whole bunch of Jazz Messengers albums, but don’t miss his contribution as a sideman on some other hard-bop greats. Art Blakey spent his early years as …
As part of our round up of some of the best jazz pianists of all time, join us for a trip through some of the most essential Oscar Peterson albums ever recorded. Widely considered to be one of the great pianists in the history of jazz, Oscar Peterson’s long and decorated career saw him release …
As part of series looking into the great jazz guitarists in history, we’re taking a look at the music of a true guitar icon: Allan Holdsworth. Regularly listed as the greatest jazz fusion guitarist of all time, Allan Holdsworth has cemented his position as one of the most technically astonishing and important musicians of his …
Whether you’re learning jazz guitar or simply a fan of the instrument, listening to the classic solos through history is a great exercise. Whilst coming up with a definitive list of the ‘best’ jazz guitar solos of all time is of course impossible (as the comments section at the bottom of this article will probably …
If you’re making a list of the best jazz saxophonists of all time, you won’t get very far before the name Sonny Rollins gets added. As part of our series looking at the jazz greats, we’ve picked 10 albums from his epic career that highlight the journey of this remarkable musician. Nicknamed ‘Newk’ on account …